Prisoners Christmas meals and the prices

Summary

The requester asked for the Christmas dinner menu and cost breakdown for inmates at the Isle of Man Prison. The authority provided the menu and confirmed dietary accommodations but refused to disclose costs as the data is not centrally collated and creating it would require new analysis.

Key Facts

• A copy of the Christmas menu was attached to the response.
• Special and religious dietary requirements are catered for.
• The prison does not centrally collate the cost per inmate for Christmas dinner.
• Christmas meals are paid for from the existing budget at no additional cost.
• The dinner is made from pre-stocked ingredients used in everyday meals.

Data Disclosed

• 2024-11-29
• 2024-12-30
• 4286065
• 3 pages
• 1 document

Exemptions Cited

• Part 2, section 8 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - No requirement to create, derive, research, or substantially compile information.

Original Request

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the Christmas dinner provided to inmates at the Isle of Man Prison. Specifically, I would like to request the following details: Christmas Dinner Menu: What is the planned Christmas dinner menu for inmates at the Isle of Man Prison for this year? Are there any alternative options available for dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, or other special diets? Cost of Christmas Dinner: What is the total cost of providing Christmas dinner to inmates, including all associated expenses (e.g., food, preparation, service)? What is the average cost per inmate for the Christmas dinner? If available, please provide a breakdown of these costs. If the requested information is not available for the current year, I would appreciate receiving details from the most recent year for which this information is available.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Coordinator DHA Headquarters Tromode Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 5AP

Telephone: (01624) 687017 Web address: www.gov.im/dha
Email: DPO-DHA@dha.gov.im

Our ref: 4286065 30th December 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 29 November 2024, which states:

"I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the Christmas dinner provided to inmates at the Isle of Man Prison. Specifically, I would like to request the following details:

1. Christmas Dinner Menu:

(a) What is the planned Christmas dinner menu for inmates at the Isle of Man Prison for this year?

(b) Are there any alternative options available for dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, or other special diets?

1. Cost of Christmas Dinner:

(a) What is the total cost of providing Christmas dinner to inmates, including all associated expenses (e.g., food, preparation, service)?

(b) What is the average cost per inmate for the Christmas dinner?

If available, please provide a breakdown of these costs.

If the requested information is not available for the current year, I would appreciate receiving details from the most recent year for which this information is available."

To ensure the reply is clear, I have broken your request into individual questions and addressed each of these in our below response:

1. Christmas Dinner Menu

(a) A copy of the menu has been attached separately (‘IOMP Christmas Menu’).

(b) All special or religious diets will be catered for.

Cost of Christmas Dinner

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find records you have requested.

The Prison has confirmed that a record such as an invoice would not be available as they do not centrally collate the cost per inmate for Christmas dinner To answer this query, it would require the department to analyse, compile and create new records. A public authority is not required to do so as referenced in Part 2, section 8 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
"Nothing in this Act requires a public authority to - (a) create or derive information from information that it holds;
(b) undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds; or
(c) undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds” To provide further advice and assistance, Christmas meals in prison are paid for from within the existing budget at no additional cost. The dinner is made from pre-stocked ingredients used within the everyday meals supplied within the Prison. Please quote the reference number 4286065 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.